Social media: new business platform for young entrepreneurs | GulfNews.com

GulfNews.com
Launching her business in 2013, Al Aidy now has over 32,000 followers on Facebook, and 8,000 on Instagram. Online strategy With so many … business needs in order to succeed. While social media is a boon for small businesses because the cost of entry … Social media: new business platform for young entrepreneurs
The fashion designer, who is also a full-time engineer, said she eventually expanded her advertising platform by launching an Instagram account. She was pleased with the outcome. “I wanted to use the power of social media because it provides ease of use, efficiency and is not time-consuming,” she said. Al Aidy explained that social media not only provided her with a platform to market her products but increased exposure of her brand through the number of followers, tags, and likes.
With so many young businessmen and women trusting the power of social media, Farrukh Naeem, a social media trainer and tech blogger based in Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News what each business needs in order to succeed. While social media is a boon for small businesses because the cost of entry is nil, brands and businesses need to have a plan and execute it strategically, he explained. “Each platform has its nuances, strengths, weaknesses, and algorithms that drive the organic reach of its users’ updates,” said Naeem. A business should have a clear strategy, he said, for each social media site, including messaging, frequency, and timing of updates. It should have a target audience and a strategy in place to manage its social media presence, he added.

Twitter offers escape from social media flaming for business

Social media can be a dangerous place for business. Just look at the reaction last month when … and is “excited about making future announcements over the next few months”. Online reputation management expert Gerry McCusker says the new features appear … Twitter offers escape from social media flaming for business

“From an online reputation point of view when you are trying to address issues you take them offline,” he says. “I wonder whether Twitter is quite blatantly undermining its shame power. It doesn't address the emotional feel-good factor, the vindication a complainant feels when they get to flame a business on Twitter. It looks like Twitter is trading it in for commercial relevance.”
Well said, Geckko. It confused me, too. I'm a sole trader (I've no idea how twitter would identify me as a legitimate business. In most cases it's wrongly assumed that you have to be a company) and I've no problem using direct messaging, as rare as it has been needed (and not for flaming or crisis management but simply direct communication). I assume twitter are increasing their pay-per-use functionality, as with promoting posts to a chosen target audience – another simple means of stating things (if that's the case).